There is Only Power
by Artemis Goddess of the Night
Summary: FullSummaryInside. Sentenced to life in Azkaban for the murder of the Dursleys, Harry is released after being found innocent. Realizing the dictatorship & manipulation that has occurred b/c of Dumbledore, Harry decides to take matters into his own hands.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter books, that all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

Summary: After the death of his school mate, Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter returns to the Dursleys home in Surrey, England to suffer another summer under their guardianship. Returning to the Dursleys home after a late night out, he discovers that they have been brutally murdered and that he is being accused of murder. With no trial, he is sentenced to life in Azkaban. After being released from Azkaban after two and a half years in prison after being found innocent, he discovers that, as he has come of age, he is able to inherit his full inheritance and is the richest man in the wizarding world while also gaining the knowledge that he is of noble birth and has multiple titles. After forming an alliance with the Goblins, he discovers that Dumbledore is controlling the government and has been attempting to control him his entire life. Harry decides to return to school under the disguise of Harry Potter, the orphan, normal citizen, and slightly rebellious teen, while secretly working towards ending the dictatorship that Dumbledore is running.

Dedication: This story is dedicated to my brother, who inspired this story.

There is Only Power: Chapter One

_Harry Potter's Point of View/Narration_

The definition of a conspiracy theory is "a theory that explains an event as being the result of a plot by a convert group or organization; a belief that a particular unexplained event was caused by such a group." That definition sums up my entire life up to the end of my fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Firstly, my parent's death was the result of a group of wizards and witches who believed in the purity of a magical being's blood, this group coincidentally followed the lead of a half-blood. Though Tom Riddle or more commonly known as Lord Voldemort, the lead of the Death Eaters, was the one to initiate the murder of my parents; the entire execution started with a prophecy from a shady seer, Professor Sibyll Trelawney who just so happens to work under the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore.

After surviving a curse which is supposed to be un-survivable, I was placed under the care of my Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon who just so happen to hate me and my magical heritage. My life then progressed in abuse, malnutrition, and neglect; which all happened under the watchful eye of Albus Dumbledore, though he rebuffs the theory that he knew anything about it.

At the age of eleven, I was sent to Hogwarts to learn the delicate art of magic, or at least as much as Ministry allowed us to learn. And for the next four years I spent my time learning new things, making enemies and friends alike, being almost killed in several different incidents, and being "watched over" by the Headmaster.

To say that I never suspected a thing until near the end of my fourth year would be a true fact. I never suspected that the Headmaster of Hogwarts, who prided himself for the example that he made and the respect that he could cultivate, would do almost anything for power. Could someone truly make up a prophecy and condemn an entire family, just to make their rival for the seat of power looked worse than they already did? Then, when that plan failed, use a boy for his own purposes?

Someone could and someone did. It took me until the moment when I landed in the grave yard, which housed the remains of Tom Riddle's father, to realize that the world was not all that it seemed and that the people in it did not play the role they portrayed.

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The graveyard and what happened there was all that Harry could think about on the train ride from Hogwarts to the train station in London. The flashbacks were almost overwhelming. It seemed like the only thing that he could think about. He of course put a facade up in front of his friends; it would do no good to break down in front of them. Hermione and Ron had to believe that he was alright, that he was not scarred from the experience in the graveyard, that he was not slowly moving towards depression and self-loathing.

It was like he was mentally going over the moment. How he could have changed his actions in order to change the outcome, in order to save Cedric. He never was really friends with the guy, but that did not mean that he did not wish to save him. Why did Cedric die and he did not? As he had done more against Voldemort then Cedric could have ever done. What twist of fate made him survive when he should have died out of lack of magical talent? Voldemort had a far greater knowledge of magic, both spells and the intricate science behind magic. He should have died for the fourth time in his life because of Voldemort, but he remained alive.

He kept on going over what had occurred, be it what was said or the actions of those present in the grave yard:

_(Flashback)_

"…_how foolish it was to suppose that this boy could ever have been stronger than me but I want there to be no mistake in anybody's mind. Harry Potter escaped me by lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to help him, and no mother to die for him." (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, page 658)_

"_There was a split second, perhaps, when Harry might have considered running for it, but his injured leg shook under him as he stood on the overgrown grave, as the Death Eaters closed ranks, forming a tighter circle around him and Voldemort, so that the gaps where the missing Death Eaters should have stood were filled." (Page 659)_

"_Harry crouched behind the headstone and knew the end had come. There was no hope…no help to be had. And as he heard Voldemort draw nearer still, he knew one thing only, and it was beyond fear or reason: He was not going to die crouching here like a child playing hide-and-seek; he was not going to die kneeling at Voldemort's feet…he was going to die upright lie his father, and he was going to die trying to defend himself, even if no defense was possible…" (Page 662)_

"_Harry's hand had closed on Cedric's wrist; one tombstone stood between him and Voldemort, but Cedric was too heavy to carry, and the cup was out of reach-….It flew into the air and soared toward him. Harry caught it by the handle-…he felt the jerk behind his navel that meant the Portkey had worked- it speeding him away in a whirl of wind and color, and Cedric along with him…They were going back." (Page 669)_

_(End of flashback)_

Those moments in the grave yard had revealed an extraordinary amount about his character. He was still questioning himself as to why he acted so cowardly, when he was a member of the house which prided itself on bravery? It was impossible to comprehend what someone did in the heat of the moment until afterwards and now he was going to use that comprehension to change his life. Though, he comforted himself in the fact that he ended up standing up for himself, and saving his pride in the process.

He secretly vowed that he would learn to defend himself so that he would no longer need the protection of Dumbledore, his mother's love, or luck in order to survive another confrontation with Voldemort. Voldemort's words kept on ringing in his ears; it was likely he would not forget them.

As Harry was so deep in thought, he was completely unaware of the amount of time that had surpassed and was only awoken from his deep thoughts when an announcement boomed throughout the train compartments informing the students that they were about to arrive at the station.

Starting to collect his items and placing them in his bag, while taking his trunks down from the racks over his head, he looked at the other members of the compartment. They seemed slightly scared from their experiences this year, they both seemed pensive but for what reasons he would not know. What he did know, though, was that they had loving families and relationships long ago forged to return to. He, on the other hand, would return to an unwelcoming home and an even more unwelcoming family.

As the train slowed to a stop at the station, the students slowly stepped out of the train with all of their belongings. Saying his final good- byes to his friends, while receiving a noticeably warmer good-bye from Hermione than Ron, Harry moved through the barrier of 9 3/4 into the Muggle London train station.

Unbeknownst to Harry, the summer would not be the same as every other summer for the Boy-Who-Lived. His life would change for the better, but first it had to change for the worst.

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Hey everyone! Hopefully you enjoyed the first chapter of my new story and I would like to read your thoughts so please review. I would like to make a note that the quotes, which are in _italics,_ is from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (hardback version), just in case you missed that. Thank you for reading and please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter books, that all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

Summary: After the death of his school mate, Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter returns to the Dursleys home in Surrey, England to suffer another summer under their guardianship. Returning to the Dursleys home after a late night out, he discovers that they have been brutally murdered and that he is being accused of murder. With no trial, he is sentenced to life in Azkaban. After being released from Azkaban after two and a half years in prison after being found innocent, he discovers that, as he has come of age, he is able to inherit his full inheritance and is the richest man in the wizarding world while also gaining the knowledge that he is of noble birth and has multiple titles. After forming an alliance with the Goblins, he discovers that Dumbledore is controlling the government and has been attempting to control him his entire life. Harry decides to return to school under the disguise of Harry Potter, the orphan, normal citizen, and slightly rebellious teen, while secretly working towards ending the dictatorship that Dumbledore is running.

Dedication: This story is dedicated to my brother, who inspired this story.

_Previously:_

As the train slowed to a stop at the station, the students slowly stepped out of the train with all of their belongings. Saying his final good- byes to his friends, while receiving a noticeably warmer good-bye from Hermione than Ron, Harry moved through the barrier of 9 3/4 into the Muggle London train station.

Unbeknownst to Harry, the summer would not be the same as every other summer for the Boy-Who-Lived. His life would change for the better, but first it had to change for the worst.

There is Only Power: Chapter Two

_Harry's/ General Point of View_

Moving towards the parking lot, located directly outside of the train station, Harry knew that his summer was going to be anything but pleasant. He could just image that his relatives behavior towards him would not have changed, but instead would get worse instead of better, and that he would find himself imprisoned in his own "home" by both the Order of the Phoenix and his relatives.

Walking past a family happily embracing near the front doors, made his thoughts more concrete as it would be extremely different to the cold greeting that he imagined awaited him. He then spotted the large black SUV that the Dursleys owned, partially so that Dudley could ride in the car and partially to show off their wealth.

Vernon was sitting in the front seat, not even bothering to get out of the car to greet his only nephew, looking for all the world like he would rather be anywhere but in the parking lot. On Harry's approach, Vernon did not even bother to pop the trunk of the car nor help his nephew with his heavy burden.

After placing his belongings in the trunk, he opened the door to the back seat and slid in, closing the door hurriedly after he was totally in.

Not bothering to see if he was buckled in, Vernon started the car with a grunt and sped his way out of the parking lot and onto the road which would lead them to the Dursley's home in Surrey the quickest.

Overall, the ride from the train station to the Dursley's home was silent, except for the mutterings coming from Vernon about what he had to go through for the "freak" or how his reputation must be suffering at this very moment. All Harry did was put practice to use, and watched the scenery go by, effectively ignoring his relative.

A minuscule part of Harry was slightly hurt that Vernon did not ask him about how his year went, but the larger part of him knew that Vernon did not care what so ever. After all, as far as his Uncle was concerned, whatever happened to Harry was what he disserved. In any case, he could probably care less that his nephew had almost died a handful of times this year alone or that he was on the verge of extreme depression.

When there was approximately fifteen minutes left of the ride to Surrey, a steady rain fall descended on the roads; this however did not hinder Vernon's driving, only making him increase his speed in order to make it home even faster. By the time they arrived at Number Four Privet Drive, it was nearly impossible to see outside because of the heavy downpour.

Pulling into the garage, Vernon got out of the car as soon as possible, leaving Harry to get his possessions out of the back of the car, into the house, and up the flight of stairs by himself. This, however, was how it always was and Harry did not expect any help from his family.

Getting out of the car and dragging his trunk out of the back with as little grace as possible, while gently handling Hedwig's cage in order to not disturb her; Harry made his way into the house. Passing by the family room to see the Dursleys in front of the television having dinner together, he moved up the flight of stairs into his dismally decorated room.

Dropping his trunk on the floor against the wall and placing Hedwig's cage on top of the dresser, he opened the window and let Hedwig out of the cage. She quickly got out of her cage and flew out the window for a much needed hunt. Harry on the other hand, tiredly moved over to his bed, which was covered with second hand blankets and converters (most of which were ripped), and laid down.

Harry was not sure how long he just laid on his bed, looking at the ceiling, replaying the recent year's events. He was not sure, either, when those thoughts turned into nightmares as he drifted into sleep.

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Thirty-nine days. That was how long he had been away from Hogwarts. That was how long he had been stuck in his relatives' house, being treated like a servant.

His summer routine had been established long before the first month was out; if anything, it had been established within the week.

He woke up at 4:45 in the morning and was dressed and ready for his run by five. He then ran from five till 6 or so, showered, dressed, and made the Dursley's their breakfast. He then stayed in his room until it was time to make lunch, then stayed in his room some more or cleaned until it was time to make dinner. After cleaning up after their relatives, who proceeded to watch endless amounts of television after dinner, he escaped from the house with running shoes on to run once again or wonder for a few hours.

In a way, the overall routine was a form of comfort, that there could be something normal in his life. In particular, the runs were a way of releasing all of his pent up frustration, anger, and sadness. It was his escape from the world that he lived in, from the abuse of his relatives and the overbearing protection of the Order.

Representatives for the Order of the Phoenix had been stationed near his house. They probably thought that he had no idea that they were there, but he was well aware.

Originally when he set out on his runs, they would follow him, to probably make sure that he did not do anything stupid. Now, however, they do not even bother to get out of the house that the person who was on "babysitting" him at the present moment occupied. It seemed it was too much trouble and nothing ever happened on the runs anyways so he could not really blame them. Harry even started to doubt that someone was stationed there anymore; they might even been using the time to catch up on their sleep.

As the first month went by, the suspicion that the person who was babysitting him no longer even occupied the home was solidified when he decided to sneak into the home.

Once he was successfully in the house, he found it to be completely disserted, without any trace that someone had been their within the last day.

Though he was overjoyed that he was no longer being spied on, most likely because everyone saw it as pointless and not because Dumbledore decided that he want to stop being a noisy git, it was how my entire situation began.

It was mid-July when it happened. I was out at night, doing my normal wonderings around the neighborhood. I ended up staying latter than I thought in a park that's about a fifteen minute walk from Number Four Privet Drive. By the time that I bothered to look at my watch, it was 12:58.

When I got back to the house at 1:13, I realized that something was wrong. The front door was an ajar and as I moved into the house and into the family room, I discovered the beaten and blooded bodies of my relatives strew across the floor. Rushing over to them to see if any of them were still alive, the extent of their injuries became more apparent.

Dudley and Vernon were beaten more than Petunia, from an observational standpoint. Dudley was lying face down on the floor with his arms twisted in odd angles, a few broken bones and joints, multiple cuts, and what would most likely have been bruises across his body. Vernon had the same array of injuries which seemed to be of a meticulous and profession kind. Petunia was tied to a chair, a piece of clothe tied around her mouth to prevent any screams for help. Her knee caps were shattered, her hair cut to her scalp and dried blood on her scalp and from the position of her clothing on the lower part of her body, more had happened to her than could be seen. All three bodies showed no injuries that could be considered terminal, such as a gunshot wound or deep cuts that would cause severe enough blood loss for them all to have died in such a short amount of time.

It almost seemed as if they were meticulously tortured for the sake of appearances and for the torturer's own pleasure, not for the sake of gaining information. In addition, it seemed that what caused his relatives death was something magical, not Muggle.

The theory was solidified, as Harry rolled Dudley over onto his back to discover Harry's wand laying were Dudley's body used to be. Picking up his wand, he examined it in order to attempt to discover if it was real or a duplicate of his own.

This was how the Aurors discovered him, holding his wand, in the living room of his relatives' home who he publically dislikes, and covered in their blood.

Questions were not asked. He was grabbed from behind and magically shackled. His wand was scanned, in order to see recent spells used, and the last three curses used was the Killing Curse.

He struggled against the bindings, he attempted to explain himself, he attempted to clear his name; it was all in vain.

The Aurors did not listen, they did not care. Neither did the judges on the panel at his trial with the _**Wizengamot.**__**They did not give him veritaserum, they did not let him talk, they did not allow him a lawyer, they did not allow anyone to represent him at all; even though Hermione and "John Jay" also known as Sirius Black in disguise, petitioned dozens of times, or so he was informed.**_

_**The trial was not fair, it was not even close. The trial lasted an hour. Enough time for the Aurors to present the evidence, enough time to say what I am charged with and my sentence. I am charged with three counts of first degree murder, three counts of use of an Unforgiveable Curse, three counts of torture, one count of rape, and one count of underage wizardry.**_

_**My sentence? Life in Azkaban Prison, in seclusion, no visitors allowed unless cleared by the Ministry. And it begins today.**_

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Hello everyone, I am terribly sorry that it took me ages to update I just have been really busy and pretty much forgot about updating. I will try to not let it happen again. Just a quick fun fact, as well, John Jay was a lawyer as well as the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Anyways, thank you all who reviewed the first chapter and please review. Hopefully you enjoyed it.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter books, that all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

Summary: After the death of his school mate, Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter returns to the Dursleys home in Surrey, England to suffer another summer under their guardianship. Returning to the Dursleys home after a late night out, he discovers that they have been brutally murdered and that he is being accused of murder. With no trial, he is sentenced to life in Azkaban. After being released from Azkaban after two and a quarter years in prison after being found innocent, he discovers that, as he has come of age, he is able to inherit his full inheritance and is the richest man in the wizarding world while also gaining the knowledge that he is of noble birth and has multiple titles. After forming an alliance with the Goblins, he discovers that Dumbledore is controlling the government and has been attempting to control him his entire life. Harry decides to return to school under the disguise of Harry Potter, the orphan, normal citizen, and slightly rebellious teen, while secretly working towards ending the dictatorship that Dumbledore is running.

Dedication: This story is dedicated to my brother, who inspired this story.

_Previously:_

_**The trial was not fair, it was not even close. The trial lasted an hour. Enough time for the Aurors to present the evidence, enough time to say what I am charged with and my sentence. I am charged with three counts of first degree murder, three counts of use of an Unforgiveable Curse, three counts of torture, one count of rape, and one count of underage wizardry.**_

_**My sentence? Life in Azkaban Prison, in seclusion, no visitors allowed unless cleared by the Ministry. And it begins today.**_

There is Only Power: Chapter Three

I never understood by Sirius never talked about Azkaban. It would be logical to think that talking about it would help him recover from the constant aura of gloom that hung over him. This misunderstanding did not last long, however, once I arrived at Azkaban.

The entire island seemed to be covered in a cloud of darkness and depression. Thick dark clouds prevented any light from the sun creeping through, as if it was symbolic of how there was no hope for the prisoners of the most notorious prison.

I am not quite sure how long the boat ride lasted. I was too busy concentrating on the cold iron shackles that dug into my skin and the icy spray of the murky water on my face. For all I know, we could have been on the hazardous body of water that surrounded the island for ten minutes or five hours, it made no difference to me. I knew what a waited me when the boat ride ended and I was in no hurry to get there.

From where the boat docked, my guards and I walked a long flight of crumbling and slippery stairs to the main gate where we were then admitted inside the prison walls. After which, I was transferred from the custody of the Ministry to the custody of Azkaban Prison.

I was ordered to change out of the clothes which the Ministry had graciously provided me with, which were then replaced by the Azkaban prisoner uniforms which were worse than my previously miserable clothing. They were a set of thin cotton pants and button up striped shirt with a number where my right breast pocket would have be. I recalled the picture which I saw of Sirius when he was a wanted escapee convict. He wore the exact same uniform but with a different number. I would soon learn that we would no longer be referred to by our names, but by our numbers, which consequently corresponded with our jail cell number. From that point on, I would no longer be referred to by Harry Potter or by my hated nickname "The Boy Who Lived", "The Chosen One", but as V or 5*.

After going through the process of being admitted to the prison, I proceeded to slowly descend into the lower levels of the prison, where the isolated prisoners were held under even more tighter security then the other prisoners.

Surrounded by guards on all sides, we moved down steps through corridors, down more steps, then up, then down, and then I stopped paying attention. I think the purpose of the confusing trip to was either bewilder the prisoner enough that in case of an escape they would not know the most direct route out and also as a way to show the power the guards had over us condemned souls.

As I stopped paying attention to where we were going, I stopped paying attention to everything else. I faintly recall finally arriving at my cell, which had my number posted on the outside, the guards removing my shackles, throwing me into my cell roughly, and slamming the magically warded bars closed after me leaving me standing in a small cell with only a spoon, which was issued to me before, in my hand.

I recall my original reaction to my cell. It was probably the first emotion that I experienced since the trial, if even that. It had a thin, beaten down mattress that was not much thicker than a small pile of blankets or straw and a thin wool blanket which both bared evidence of previous use. In addition, there was a bucket to go to the bathroom in which I later learned was collected once a day. The cell could not have been bigger than eighty inches by eighty inches which I later confirmed after pacing off the perimeter using my foot size as my measuring tool. I cannot confirm how many times I would do this over the following weeks, months, and years. I stopped keeping track of a lot of things over that time span.

One thing I did not stop keeping track of, however, was how many days I had been kept in the dirt covered, stone cobblestone prison cell. I had a running tally on the walls, one tally for each day. I kept track by the meals that we were brought as we were never told what day it was. The prisoners had two meals a day, which in real life serving sizes added up to one serving at most and a half a serving more often than not. It was always some form of porridge of broth, a stale piece of bread which after soaked was barely edible, and a glass of water which was by means clean.

At first, I almost felt like using a line from Charles Dickens's _Oliver Twist_ when Oliver says "Please sir, can I have some more?" but thought better of it as it was highly unlikely that anyone would get the reference and it would probably result in less compared to more in addition to a beating. I later discovered that the guards were not above beatings and was secretly thankful I kept my comments to myself.

Keeping silent became a new practice. The less you talked, the less attention was directed at you, the less beatings you got, and the less taunting was directed at you. I soon learned to deal with the sound of silence,* the lack of food, the cold and damp, and the sameness of the days. I attempted to find comfort in the singleness of my life instead of focusing in on the betrayal of my friends and mentors as I knew that, that would only drive me into insanity. I attempted to comfort myself in dedicating myself to plans of vengeance, in case I ever got out of this damn prison.

Originally, that's what I did. I thought of plans, reenacted them in my mind step by step and figured out the best curses to use in order to cause the most damage but I soon found myself muttering to myself at night and the dementors started to affect me more and more, as my hatred increased. I became like the other prisoners who were talking without knowing that they were speaking, and hearing without truly listening.* I knew I could not become like them, because deep inside there was still a part of myself that believed that Hermione and Sirius could save me from the hell hole that I inhabited and that unlike the other prisoners, I was not guilty of the crimes that enslaved me here.

In a way, that small part of me that hoped probably saved my life. It saved me because I no longer contemplated my hatred, my failings, my lack of feeling anything anymore even my own magic. I focused in on that hope and attempted to forget everything else. During my time in prison, I had lost connection with what made me a wizard. I had lost connection with the feeling that went through my body when I did a spell, the feeling I got when I was one with my magical core. I had effectively lost everything in my thoughts of revenge, even what made me the human I am. I had to make a decision, either lose everything or gain everything back in my quest for revenge against everyone.

My decision was to have my revenge by being even more powerful than I was before this fiasco and in the unlikely case that I was released, I would not have lost my sanity where everyone else had. I would not turn into Bellatrix Lestrange, who lost her humanity along with her sanity. I would try to be better than the others, as that is all that I had left. Is the hope of a better life after all of this.

I learned to meditate. It was a gradual process but it helped eventually. Meditation helped me block out everything that was happening, the "drip-drip" of water, the screams of the other prisoners, the Dementors, my own thoughts, and be able to focus in on nothing and everything at the same time. I no longer counted the 72,519 stones of my walls or attempted to name the stones* instead I concentrated on my feelings and interworking of my heart.

I remember the day that I first became one with soul and my magical core. I heard about Buddhist monks who had been able to go where no drug could take them, I think I truly felt what they felt that day. It was over a year into my sentence, I knew this as the guards had started a tradition of beating the prisoner on the anniversary of their imprisonment. I also knew from my daily tally of days spent in prison. The beating just served as a double check to see if my count was correct. I was sitting on my cot with my eyes closed, attempting to block out everything and for once, it truly worked. I felt everything. The pain of the prisoner next to my cell, the emotions that I had previously experienced, and my magic as it seemed to recognize me and come to life for the first time in over a year. After experiencing that sensation, that euphoria, I had to experience it as much as much as a possibly could.

It became an obsession. I became obsessed with attempting to gain that peace that I felt. It was the only thing I did, not like there was much else to do, other than sleeping and eating. It became my form of escape, as actually escaping was an impossibility. The extra bonus was that it helped time go by faster. While before the days dragged on, it almost felt like there was not enough time in the day. The days flew by, then the weeks, then the months. The only reason I noticed the changes was because the weather changed and also my anniversary beating occurred.

My two year anniversary of my imprisonment was not as a momentous occasion as my first one. If anything, I had almost stopped counting. Though I had not completely given up on Hermione and Sirius, I was beginning to slowly lose hope till it was just a faint wish that would never be granted.

**Wizarding World: Hermione's Point of View**

Society was my enemy now. While before, if any of the Golden Trio asked for something, we could get as much publicity as if it was a momentous event. Now, I could barely get any understanding press for Harry's case. Sirius and I worked tirelessly to prevent him from going to prison and after he did, now barely stopped working. The Ministry was dead set on his sentence and thought that the evidence was unquestionable; I thought part of their opinion was based on the opinion of Albus Dumbledore. He was reason I almost left Hogwarts but stayed because the last time I saw Harry, he told me to stay at Hogwarts and keep an eye on the manipulative bastard, just in case.

Sirius and I, after months of petitioning, finally gained access to the Aurors archives and were able to look through Harry's file. That was only after Sirius, under the name of John Jay, legal bound himself with Harry as his lawyer.

We looked through the evidence but everything that was documented was highly biased against Harry. I presumed they did not record everything they found.

It occurred to me about a year and a half after Harry was sentenced that since the Dursley's her Muggle and the crime scene was investigated by the Muggle authorities, that we should look through their records.

After going through a lot of steps, counterfeit certificates, and obliviations, we were able to gain access to the Dursley file and discovered that the Muggles were a little more thorough than the Aurors and that the case was in fact solved. The police came to the conclusion that the people responsible for the Durlsey's death was a gang group called The Sons, who were under the leadership of David Berkowitz.* After further inspection and weeks of research, I discovered that the members had a connection with the wizarding world and were known for "doing the dirty work" for people who paid well. Which left one question, who hired them to set up Harry?

After discovering this piece of evidence, Sirius and I petitioned the courts to open Harry's case and for the first time in two years, the press responded in our favor. Maybe this was because there was little exciting news now days or that they were actually beginning to fear the ever looming presence of Voldemort.

It took a quarter of a year to convince the courts, using the evidence from the Muggle file, that Harry was innocent. Neither Sirius nor I got any support. Ron and the rest of Hogwarts students had long ago turned away from us. But once we were able to prove that the Muggle police's evidence was not counterfeit or inadequate, we gained ground and favor with the people which were half the battle. Everyone wanted to see the Golden Boy reinstated in order to save them from Voldemort, now that they realized that they could not do it without him. And for once in my life, I was almost glad that Voldemort's attacks were increasing. Almost being the key word. The attack on the University of St. Andrews, which was secretly partially a wizarding institution, on the day of the final vote solidified Harry's release. Perfect timing indeed.

It had been two and a quarter years since his imprisonment and I was slightly nervous to see him again but regardless, extremely happy. I did not know how much he would have changed over the years or if his sanity was even intact. At the very least, I prayed that he was sane. I did not dare hope that he was unchanged though.

As his representatives, Sirius and I went to retrieve him from Azkaban. Sirius was not too thrilled about the idea of going back but that was to be expected. He was to be released on August 5th.*

**Harry's Point of View**

When the guards opened my jail cell door and informed me that I was to be released, I thought that I had finally succumbed to insanity. They did not give me enough time to process this information or maybe they knew that I would be in shock for the next few minutes and took advantage of it.

The route to the discharge area was significantly more direct than what I remember the route to my cell was. The process was simple. Sign here, take a picture, sign here, get possessions back if you had any which I did not, and hear the explanation for meeting the person who would pick you up, and sign for the last time. Then walk out to the boats, which would take me to the dock where I would meet who ever I was meeting. They never let me know who it was. I just hoped there was someone there.

When the boat pulled up to the dock, I could see Hermione with a black dog at her side, who I knew to be Sirius. She was shocked, I could tell. I had not actually looked at myself yet, but it was apparently extremely different than how I looked before.

Walking up the short flight of stair and finally coming face to face with Hermione and Sirius, there was a pause before Hermione enveloped me in a bone crushing hug and Sirius did his best to bath me in licks. No words were exchanged; there was no need for them. I knew these were the people who I could trust. That these were the only people I could ever trust.

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Hello everyone, sorry about the wait but hopefully it was worth it. Here are the references, in order that I made:

*1) V for Vendetta

*2) Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel

*3) "People talking without speaking; People hearing without listening" Sound of Silence

*4) "_Edmond_: There are 72,519 stones in my walls. I've counted them many times. _Abbe Faria_: But have you named them yet?" –The Count of Monte Cristo

*5) David Berkowitz was a serial killer in the 1970s that was also known as the "Son of Sam"

*6) August 5th: International Forgiveness day. Harry's jail cell number is also V (or 5).

So that you can image the size of Harry's cell, 76 by 80 inches is the size of a king size bed, I just rounded it off to 80 by 80. A normal jail size in the United States is 8 feet by 12 feet. So there is the comparison and it is obviously pretty significant.

Anyways, thank you all for reading and hopefully you enjoyed it. Please review. Thanks! Love you all!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter books, that all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

Summary: After the death of his school mate, Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter returns to the Dursleys home in Surrey, England to suffer another summer under their guardianship. Returning to the Dursleys home after a late night out, he discovers that they have been brutally murdered and that he is being accused of murder. With no trial, he is sentenced to life in Azkaban. After being released from Azkaban after two and a quarter years in prison after being found innocent, he discovers that, as he has come of age, he is able to inherit his full inheritance and is the richest man in the wizarding world while also gaining the knowledge that he is of noble birth and has multiple titles. After forming an alliance with the Goblins, he discovers that Dumbledore is controlling the government and has been attempting to control him his entire life. Harry decides to return to school under the disguise of Harry Potter, the orphan, normal citizen, and slightly rebellious teen, while secretly working towards ending the dictatorship that Dumbledore is running.

Dedication: This story is dedicated to my brother, who inspired this story.

_Previously:_

Walking up the short flight of stair and finally coming face to face with Hermione and Sirius, there was a pause before Hermione enveloped me in a bone crushing hug and Sirius did his best to bath me in licks. No words were exchanged; there was no need for them. I knew these were the people who I could trust. That these were the only people I could ever trust.

There is Only Power: Chapter 4

**Harry's Point of View**

To say that the press had a field day with my release would be an understatement. Beyond the dock where I was released, past the field that separated the dock and the anti-apparation gates which seemed to block all of humanity from crushing in on me, to the other side of the gates was the press that waited to get as much detail as possible on the present big story. My arrest was one of the best selling stories; the press's goal was to make my release even bigger.

Hermione and Sirius did the best they could from blocking me from the press but honestly, I was too exhausted to care what the press did. After our initial reunion, it seemed the adrenaline had run its course and that I was finally starting to feel the effects of my release. The sun was blaringly bright despite it being partly cloudy but the fact that I had spent the last two or so years without seeing any sunlight had something to do my reaction to it. The addition of the photographer's flashes did not help. The constant questions of "How do you feel about your accusers," "What was prison like," "How much weight have you lost," 'How do you feel," and so on. Hermione, bless her, was muttering "No comment" the entire time we moved through the crowd or both press and observers who had heard of my release. It seemed as if this was a circus event and I was the final act. After getting past the anti-apparation wards, Hermione apparated both Sirius away; I was never more grateful for her than at the moment except that, that was the last thing I remember before passing out.

**Number 12 Grimmauld Place**

I woke up in a bed. It was an unusual sensation after sleeping on a cot that was little thicker than a blanket. At first I thought I was still dreaming or that I had finally succumbed to insanity. The fact that I was in a bed the size of my cell and that if I reached out I would not touch the walls of my room. Then I realized that this was the room that I lived in while at Number 12 Grimmauld Place and that I was not, in fact, insane.

I do not know how long I lay in my bed, staring at the walls and my possessions which had not been moved or even touched in over two years. It seemed that someone had warded my room in order to prevent anyone from going through my room, probably to prevent the Aurors from looking through my possessions and taking this as "evidence" to my treason.

I was so lost in my daze that I did not realize that my door had opened and that Hermione had come in until a floor board creaked under her feet. The sudden noise startled me so much that I rolled out of my bed and landed on my shoulder with a groan. It was the first noise that I had made since I was released

I could hear Hermione hurriedly placing something down and running over to me. As she helped me back into my bed, I finally heard her talk for the first time since the confrontation with the press. She kept on repeating, "Harry…Oh Harry… what have they done to you?"

"Nothing," I said I said in a quiet voice. I think it startled her, that I had actually spoken, as she froze as she was putting the cover over my body.

"Oh Harry," Hermione said as she went over to the tray that she had put down on the counter when she came into the room. "Harry, you did not do anything. It's their entire fault, not yours," she said as she placed the tray on the night stand next to me and then sitting down. "They were the ones that made the mistake of sending you to prison. They were the ones who did not look at the evidence. You did not do anything wrong, it is everyone else who did something wrong."

With Hermione sitting next to me, I finally got to get a good look at her and realized how different she looked. She had bags under her eyes, appeared to have lost at least ten pounds though she was always thin, her cheek bones were prominent, and her hair had lost all its volume and had a dead appearance to it. She simply looked exhausted, as if the years of fighting for my case had taken a major toll on her and seemed to have added years to her life.

"You look different," I said as I stared at her and under my gaze she turned away with a blush, as if she was embarrassed with how she looked. "You look tired…and thin."

At this point she turned to me with a glare. "As if you are one to talk," Hermione said as she looked me over, it was my turn to blush now. "You were thin before and after every summer when you came back from the Dursley's but now look at you. Do you realize how many nourishing potions we had to give you in order to even make a dent? You did not pass out from exhaustion, I'll tell you that." She said with a huff as she handed me the smoothie that she had made for me. I was so glad it was not soup or porridge or I may have thrown up on her. Those two foods were forever banned from my meals.

"Well it's not like I had a choice," I said as I took a sip from my smoothie. It was divine. I never thought I would appreciate a smoothie more in my life than at that moment. "Thank you for this," I said before taking a long sip from the straw.

"You are very welcome, Harry, but take it slow. Do not want to make yourself even sicker," Hermione said as she watched me drink the smoothie at an increasingly rapid pace.

Once I was finished with the smoothie, Hermione handed me a potion and some pills which I recognized as Muggle vitamins. It turns out that there was a limit to the number of potions that I could take and so they decided to use Muggle resources to help along the process.

After taking the disgusting tasting potions with a gulp and forcing myself to swallow the pills, I settled back into the pillows to get more comfortable so that I could catch up with Hermione. However, instead of feeling more awake after eating, I started to feel drowsy.

With a smile, Hermione informed me that one of the potions was a Dreamless Sleep potion; I guess I had been away from Potions class to long because I did not even recognize it. As I started to drift off to sleep, I saw Hermione start picking up the empty glass and vials which she placed on the tray. The last thing I saw before drifting off to sleep was Sirius opening the door for Hermione as she headed out the room, turning off the lights as she went.

-----

The following weeks were a constant cycle of waking up, eating, taking care of hygienic concerns, then sleeping. Though it was tiresome, in hindsight it was probably a good idea as I had two years of strength that I had to recover.

During that time, _The Prophet_ ran several stories about my release and where I had gone after my release. People speculated about why I had fainted and whether I was still alive even. The Ministry was apparently reprimanded for allowing Azkaban to treat their prisoners so poorly though beyond complaints, nothing was done about it.

Though I never saw my mail, apparently there were a constant slew of requests for interviews and photo shoots. A few Ministry letters came attempting to set up a meeting between the Minister and himself in order to apologies for their mistake and a press conference to make their apology public. Those letters were promptly burned and no reply was sent.

During the time that I spent recovering, I had some one-on-one time with Sirius to talk about Azkaban. I think it served as closure for both of us. Sirius never had anyone to talk to about what he experienced as no one ever understood the true experience, but now we both had someone who understood and it made our relationship that much closer.

------

Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. I feel so proud of myself for updating relatively quickly. I did try to get this up in a timely fashion. This chapter really just served as a transfer from Harry's time in Azkaban to the real world, so next time the real actions will begin. So, hopefully you enjoyed it and please review.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter books, that all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

Summary: After the death of his school mate, Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter returns to the Dursleys home in Surrey, England to suffer another summer under their guardianship. Returning to the Dursleys home after a late night out, he discovers that they have been brutally murdered and that he is being accused of murder. With no trial, he is sentenced to life in Azkaban. Following his release from Azkaban after two and a quarter years in prison after being found innocent, he discovers that, as he has come of age, he is able to inherit his full inheritance and is the richest man in the wizarding world while also gaining the knowledge that he is of noble birth and has multiple titles. After forming an alliance with the Goblins, he discovers that Dumbledore is controlling the government and has been attempting to control him his entire life. Harry decides to return to school under the disguise of Harry Potter, the orphan, normal citizen, and slightly rebellious teen, while secretly working towards ending the dictatorship that Dumbledore is running.

Dedication: This story is dedicated to my brother, who inspired this story.

_Previously:_

During the time that I spent recovering, I had some one-on-one time with Sirius to talk about Azkaban. I think it served as closure for both of us. Sirius never had anyone to talk to about what he experienced as no one ever understood the true experience, but now we both had someone who understood and it made our relationship that much closer.

* * *

There is Only Power: Chapter 5

_Dumbledore's Point of View_

It was perfect. The plan was perfect, calculated to a tee and flawless. Yet, it failed. The first time a plan failed and it would be the last. I do not deal well with failure. No one knew that there was a connection between me, the murder of the Dursleys, and the conviction of Harry Bloody Potter, the once loyal servant who did not question to a rebellious child with thoughts of freedom from my grasps. That's why I did it. I hired some thugs who did not ask questions as long as the price was right, staged it so that it would look as if Potter had killed his despised relatives. They had lost their value after all; there was no need for their further existence. It worked, four birds with one stone and what a pricey stone.

It was worth it to, until the nosy, persistent, and die-hard loyal Mudblood Hermione Granger decided to stick her nose into my plans and mess it up. She had a tendency to do that. Never would I forgive her talent for surviving or for figuring out exactly what to do. Second Year she survived the Balisk attack and ruined the elimination of the Muggle-born population at the school. Then she found a way to save Sirius Black from imprisonment, therefore ruining a possibility of getting rid of the only other father figure in Harry's life. Now this, she is not my top concern though.

I have to get back into good graces with Potter, which is the only option. The public is for him right now, therefore I have to be for him. It is really all about the public and their opinion. Become a hero and they will forever love you. I am a product of their love and therefore, in order to stay in their graces, I have to appear to be in favour of Potter. At least until the favor sways, then something can be done about the aggravating Golden Boy. And this time, I will not fail.

* * *

_Sirius's Point of View_

I knew they would eventually come; letters and attempted visits by Harry's old friends and the Headmaster. They were bound to come and attempt to get in the redeemed Chosen One's graces. People swarm to fame like bees to honey and run away as soon as any danger presents itself. That is how the world works, it would not change. Friends come and go as fame and favor comes and goes. Unfortunately, Harry actually has to experience this. Never wanted him to, but now he does.

The Weasleys have tried several times, especially Ron. As loving as that family is, they are also ambitious as humans are. They were the butt of the Pureblood communities jokes for so long that there was bound to be some corruption, some desire to better their positions. They saw their positions elevated with their children's acquaintance with Harry, and saw the potential for a fall from those graces with his disgrace. At this time, abandoning Harry served them more than sticking with the dejected teen. Now it serves their purpose to be with him. I can only pray to the Gods above that Harry sees this as the facade that it is.

For now, all we can do is hope that no one finds out where we are, at least until Harry has gained his strength back. Its unlikely that we will be able to keep it a secret for long as Harry is the top story. I have a feeling that even if they found us they would still continue to print "Where is the Chosen Boy" and claim different citing's just to get publicity. Let them fret and buzz their stories like little bees; they deserve that for what they did to my Godson.

While we wait though, I continue my research. If my school mates could see me know, sitting in the library for hours on end, productively studying large tomes they would surely laugh. It is amazing how one event can cause a change in a person's personality. I blame it on my seemingly constant companion, Hermione, for changing me but maybe I needed the change, it stopped the endless drinking after all. For now though, I will sit in the library using the letters that "fans" and "friends" have sent for kindling as I research the legal and financial acts that could help us in some way or form, as Harry's accounts are still frozen by the Ministry.

* * *

_Harry's Point of View_

It's one thing to be ignored by the government, not believed by society, scorned and tossed aside by everyone, and to be thrown in prison for a crime I did not commit. It, however, is quite another thing to have the government involved in _my_ personal affairs, to still have my accounts frozen, and to be essentially under house arrest because they refuse to give back any property or possessions that they are currently holding. To say it lightly, I am pissed off.

They have no right to stick there grimy hands into my pocket, take what they can get, and then refuse to allow me access to what they cannot get to since the Gringotts goblins had refused them access, as it would break the privacy contract that all accounts have, they were enacting some long forgotten law to prevent any access to the accounts. Of course, since its been long out of date and not used in recent history, most literature does not exist except for the in the library's of the Ministry.

However, thanks to the extensive library that we have at our service and Sirius's sudden interest to research, we were able to find the law after digging through piles of books and several layers of dust. It said essentially that, "Subjects who are under the current rule of law are subject to the requirements set forth by the Ministry and the Secretary of Treasury. These subjects, as listed in Section 189 Part 531, must fulfill the requirements for full access to any financial institution. They must: verify the identity of the individual, there must be record of person's information and previous statements, and these individuals cannot be on the suspected criminal list as classified as Highly Dangerous or the Secretary of Treasury has the right to revoke access to said account. These persons, either suspected of a crime or who has been convicted, might have their accounts and assets frozen, until it is deemed appropriate to unfreeze or relinquish the accounts. If the accused refuses accesses to the accounts, then their accounts and assets can be frozen for as long as is deemed appropriate, unless otherwise deemed appropriate by a two thirds majority by Officials on the listed under the Ruling Officials Act Part 13 or by the Secretary of Treasury."

Considering none of the researchers were lawyers, most of this basically blended together into a haze of babbling law but from what could be understood or translated into simple English for that mater, there seemed hope in getting the accounts unlocked if we could figure out who was on the list of Officials as the Secretary of Treasury was some imbecilic under the ruling of Fudge and therefore was of little to no use. So this is where the research ran into a cold dead stop.

The Officials List, which was determined almost a thousand years ago, was simply outdated. Most of the positions rested in the hands of the Principalities that existed at that time with their Princes and nobility. The entire land was divided into Seven Kingdoms, which was ruled by the Seven Ruling Families and supported by the leading "Prime Minister" of such which was typically the highest-ranking Duke. These fourteen peoples represented the party of the Ruling Officials and served as an opposition party to the Ministry of Magic when deemed necessary. Of course, this party was long forgotten but not entirely dissolved. Since the Ministry officially does not include the Ruling Officials in matters of State, the members have not been recorded since the 1700s. This left us with a list of officials and webs of family trees, unfinished and not particularly useful. As Sirius had constantly commented, it was a bloody mess.

* * *

Hermione's Point of View

The research had proved to be equally useful, informative, and frustrating. The hoards of information were thrilling to learn about but on the other hand most of the pertinent information was not present. In an attempt to determine who was in the current committee of fourteen of Ruling Officials, we essentially had to reconstruct and piece together an entire family tree of generations with bits and pieces of information. For a magical world with "superior intellect and resources", their history records were dismal. As such, Sirius, Harry and I were in the library yelling across the room over scrolls with webs of families that no one had ever heard of or who were long forgotten. When of course I shared this thought, Harry let out a snort of amusement as he put down a book, commenting that, "Malfoy isn't a part of one of the oldest families after all" as he pointed where the family appeared in British history with their migration from France in 1785.

Sirius let out a chuckle as he scanned the book, taking in their origin from a small mountain town near present day Toulouse, "Maybe we should sent them a letter with this information. I'm sure they would be thrilled to show it off in the foyer with their peacocks."

These sorts of comments continued for days. In a way this was the only thing that kept them going, that and a lot of dusting. The tedious process of mapping together families and crossing off names of potentials seemed fruitless. In essence all that was needed was one family and it seemed they could not even find that.

One day during a break a thought came to me, which seemed so obvious but at the same time none of us had thought of it before. I turned to the boys with perhaps the first note of excitement for the research project I had, had in a while and said, "Harry, Sirius, what do you know of your family tree?"

All Harry could do was have a bemused look on his face until he turned to Sirius who had a splitting grin on his face as if she had just recommended that they redecorate the Ministry in pink and green paint.

"You know it would be very amusing if one of our families end up being related to one of the fourteen," Sirius commented. "I wonder if that means we could kick Fudge out," He said with a chuckle as he started to walk to the library door while muttering what suspiciously sounded like "Or make a law about Ministers not being allowed to have names based on candies."

Harry and I turned to each other with a laugh as he presumably went of to find the tombs of family trees and birth certificates, which recorded the history of the Black family and the Potter family.

A few hours later, as Harry and I were eating dinner, as we had not heard a peep from Sirius we heard a yell from the attic. I dropped the glass of milk I was talking a swig of and we both sprinted up stairs. Bursting into the room we found Sirius and Kreacher sprawled out on the floor with books the size of small boulders surrounding them and Sirius with an excited smile on his face.

He looked up at us with perhaps the first entirely genuine smile either of us had seen in a long time saying the words that would be our salvation, "Harry, you are a Prince."

* * *

Authors Note:

I want to start by saying I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY! It has been a busy few months (years) and its summer now so I am going to try to be good, but no promises (just saying that so you all don't yell at me). Anyways, I took the Seven Kingdoms idea from Games of Thrones if anyone was wondering. I hope you enjoyed it and please review! Thanks! xx


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